International students are almost as valuable as gold to Canada's economy. Saudi Arabia's recent political move is case in point. Over 15,000 international students' scholarships to attend Canadian universities are being pulled, and they're being instructed to study elsewhere.

Saudi Arabia's decision to withdraw its students from Canada could hurt Canadian economy

Global Affairs' 2017 study Economic impact of international education in Canada shows international students just behind gold in value to Canada's economy.

Translated Description: The Saudi Arabian government's decision to order more than 15,000 of its students to leave Canada due to a diplomatic dispute could cost the Canadian economy hundreds of millions of dollars. Saudi authorities are planning to stop training programs, scholarships and fellowships in Canada, and to facilitate the smooth transition of students to other countries. Saudi Arabia was the sixth-biggest source of long-term international students in Canada in 2015, with 11,650 studying in Canada, according to a report prepared for Global Affairs. There were also 5,622 short-term students from Saudi Arabia, according to the report. International students collectively add about $15.5 billion annually to Canada’s economy. Saudi students make up about five per cent of that group and 1,000 of them are medical students. Long-term foreign students spent an average of $35,100 per year, while short-term students spent, on average, $900 per week. (07/08/2018)

Political moves made by Saudi Arabia will have a large impact on international student communities, many of whom study in Canada with the intention of later immigrating. Every day MIREMS consultants are reading, watching and listening to Canada's multilingual and multicultural media. We bring must-read stories like this one to our audience's attention, making language barriers transparent.